A middle-aged or elderly woman appeared to be dragged by a protester during demonstrations in Boston on Saturday, Aug. 19, and it was captured on camera.
The woman, who has yet to be identified, is seen holding an American flag.
A protester with long hair and a heavily patched jacket, who was walking with protesters—some of whom were masked—then grabs her flag and she continues to hold on before falling to the ground. It’s unclear if these demonstrators belonged to the Antifa, a far-left and self-described “anti-fascist,” militant group accused of engaging in violence and vandalism at prior events, namely during riots at UC Berkeley earlier this year.
“That’s assault,” one of the Fox reporters can be heard saying in the clip.
In a Fox clip, the woman is later seen on the ground while some people come up to her, apparently trying to offer her medical attention. A woman wearing a mask with the red-and-white medical cross can be seen heading toward her.
A large crowd of people marches toward Boston Common to protest the Boston Free Speech Rally in Boston, Mass., Aug. 19, 2017. (Stephanie Keith/Reuters)It happened as thousands of protesters converged on downtown Boston in response to a self-described free speech rally that had triggered concerns of possible violence in the wake of violence at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last week. Last week, during a rally that was attended by white supremacists and others, a woman was killed when a man drove his Dodge Charger into a crowd of people.
According to the Boston Police Department, the rally ended at 1:30 p.m. local time, and most left Boston Common. Police could been seen separating demonstrators and counterdemonstrators.
At least nine people were arrested, CNN reported.
President Donald Trump thanked the police for mostly keeping the peace.
“Looks like many anti-police agitators in Boston. Police are looking tough and smart! Thank you,” he wrote.
Trump also praised Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, for promoting law and order.
Protesters at the free speech rally said that they’re demonstrating against racism and perceived injustices in the United States. “I think there are many groups that are marginalized in our community… and I think we need to stand together and say that is not OK,” Boston resident Beth Chandler told NBC during the protest.
